using the results of international reading tests to inform good practice and policy thomas schmit...
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Using the results of International Reading Tests to Inform Good Practice and
Policy
Thomas Schmit and Eva Thomas Schmit and Eva Birzniece, Pro Futuro, LatviaBirzniece, Pro Futuro, Latvia
31 July 200831 July 2008
THE BALTIC SEA CONFERENCE AND THE FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF LATVIAN READING ASSOCIATION
Riga, July 2008
Using PIRLS/PISA to promote Using PIRLS/PISA to promote dialoguedialogue•Our work tells us that people
are interested•Confused by multiple,
confusing sources of information
•Structure info using IRA suggestions
Latvian literacy level•According to the CIA factbookLiteracy:
•definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.7% male: 99.8% female: 99.7% (2000 census)
What kinds of tests?What kinds of tests?• Norm referencedNorm referenced
– Assumes distribution of the trait tested Assumes distribution of the trait tested (across a population). Education or (across a population). Education or training shouldn’t much change it.training shouldn’t much change it.
• Criterion referencedCriterion referenced– We can define competency. We can define competency. – 10 means someone can10 means someone can– 5 means that they cannot5 means that they cannot
What do these sets of numbers have in common?
•7, 7, 7, 7, 7
•10, 10, 10, 5
•5, 5, 5, 10,10
What about PIRLS and What about PIRLS and OECD?OECD?
• Criterion referencedCriterion referenced
• Children have been instructed in the Children have been instructed in the task (reading) and should be task (reading) and should be (theoretically) competent in meeting (theoretically) competent in meeting criteria.criteria.
Specific Topics addressed by Specific Topics addressed by PISA/PIRLSPISA/PIRLS
• Assessments• School structure• School management• Resources• Teacher education • Professional development • Gender• Socioeconomic status (SES)• Home and community• Engagement• Underachievement
Considering the Results Can:
•Show ranges of competencies/performance (criterion referenced),
•Demonstrate or suggest links between social, policy and school factors and performance (use of non-test data from students, teachers and administrators),
•Suggest internationally/nationally successful practices and policies that can be emulated- Best Practices models.
Cannot:
•Give league tables- too much is too different for direct comparison,
•Point to “the right” or “best” solution(s).
But, they talk about averagesBut, they talk about averages
What does the average tell What does the average tell us?us?
• Not muchNot much
• Average changed by mix of schools, Average changed by mix of schools, children etc.children etc.
• Compared to other countries- changes Compared to other countries- changes based on countries involved (weaker, based on countries involved (weaker, stronger etc.)stronger etc.)
• OECD, 2006 – 15 year oldsOECD, 2006 – 15 year olds– 66% under any reading comprehension % under any reading comprehension
levellevel– 1155% the first comprehension level% the first comprehension level
• PIRLS, 2006 – 4th gradersPIRLS, 2006 – 4th graders– Latvia above the European averageLatvia above the European average– excluded - 90 special schools (?)excluded - 90 special schools (?)– excluded - 4,3%excluded - 4,3%– excluded – 0.5% ss with physical and excluded – 0.5% ss with physical and
mental prmental prooblemsblems– The number of poor readers increased The number of poor readers increased
compared to 2001 compared to 2001
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Girls and boys performance gapGirls and boys performance gap
Literacy skills for the world of tomorrow
21st World Congress on Reading, 7-10 August 2006Andreas Schleicher
Head, Indicators and Analysis DivisionOECD Directorate for Education
•Sympathy doesn’t raise standards – aspiration does
– PISA suggests that students and schools perform better in a climate characterised by high expectations and the readiness to invest effort, the enjoyment of learning, a strong disciplinary climate, and good teacher-student relations
Among these aspects, students’ perception of teacher-student relations and classroom disciplinary climate display the strongest relationships
Other messages
•Equity matters
•Resources (and their use) matters
•Policy matters
A specific finding to consider
•How well do children in different kinds of schools score?
What are the possible explanations for this disparity?
•Based on Latvian explanations?
•Based on International data?
What is needed to help?
What is needed to help?• lack of information about struggling readers – 27%• national education system (too intense curriculum, no
time to learn step by step) – 16%?• too many students per class – 14%• lack of teacher time – 11%• lack of methodological materials and skills of teachers –
10%• denial of the system to acknowledge and identify reading
difficulties – 8%• no cooperation btw teachers and parents – 7%• lack of national financing – 4%• lack of specialists – 3% (PIRLS – 71% of teachers report no
access to remedial reading specialists)
Conclusions
•Latvian education stakeholders want this dialogue
•Asking the questions in the rich context of international studies is valuable
•Carefully framed questions facilitates dialogue
•Supplementary/original data adds to understanding.
